Door-operating apparatus.



P. R. 50m/IAN. DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLiCATlON FILED MAYZ. 1915.

Lw. y Patented oct. 10,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

P. R. FORMAN.

DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. I9I5. l 1,200,826. Patented 0@I.10,1916.

A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1:1 3/ 67X o o 61]* T O 65 7g I I 4 /'V 62 /Q .5V-@I I fave/afn" PARIS R. FORMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL PNEUMATIC4 COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

DOOR-OPERATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Original application filed November 6, 1912, Serial No. 729,730. Divided and this application led May 21,

1915. Serial No. 29,700.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, PARIS R. FORMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Door-Operating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door operating apparatus and embodies subject-matter d1- vided from my application Serial No. 729,- 730, filed Nov. 6, 1912.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a construction and arrangement of power actuated door operating mechanism which is simple and efficient.

A further object is toprovide safety devices for use in connection with door operating mechanism whereby in case the door in closing encounters an obstruction, the power motor is automatically reversed.

A further object is to provide a safety apparatus of the nature referred to which, when the obstruction is removed, again reverses the motor to cause the door to again move toward closed position.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists' substantially in the construction, combination, location, and' relative arrangement of parts, all as willbe more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and nally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and to the various views appearing thereon, Figure 1 is a broken view in elevation showing a door operating mechanism embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 1s a broken view invertical transverse section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken detail view in section showing a'form of power mechanism and reversing devices therefor embodying my invention. Fig. f1 mentary view showing the action of the lock operating connections.

The same-part is designated by the same reference. numeral wherever 'it occurs throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention I propose to employ a powerl mechanism to open and close doors, gates or thelike, and control devices for the power mechanism whereby in casethe door, gate or lthe like, encounters an obstruction in closing the power mechanism will be automatically reversed, thereby causing the door or the like to move toward open position under power operat1on, and when the obstruction is removed the motor will again be reversed to cause the door to resume its closing movement under power operation, the reversals of the polilver motor being accomplished automatica y.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in` which, for illustrative purpose, I have shown my invention applied to a sliding door structure, the door sections are indicated at 5, 6, and operating levers, one of which is shown at 7, are slidably connected at one end in the usual manner to the remote edges of said door sections. The operating levers, in the example shown, are pivotally mounted` intermediate their ends, as at 9. The other ends of the levers 7, are connected by links I1, 12, to the respective ends of a reciprocable cross head 13, adapted to be operated by any suitable form of power mechanism.

The type and construction of door shown and above referred to, is of common construction, and is selected as an illustrative examplel of4 a practical application of the principles of my invention, and in the de.- tails thereof form no part of my present invention.

Where doors of the sliding type are used the door sections are suspended from a trackway positioned thereover, and are carried by rollers 14 'operating along said trackway.

fran sTA'rEs-f- PATENT OFFICE.

The cross head 13 comprises end pieces connected together by rods 8 which are re-' spectively located on opposite sides of the motor shown generally at 10, Figs. 1 and 2.

other and at their proximate ends argejgp' ported by a bracket or casting` 22. The proximate ends of the cylinders are closed while their remote ends are open. TheJ pistons 18, 19, are presented toward each other while their respective rods extend in opposite directions and away from each other and through the open ends of the respective cyle inders, and are respectively connected to ther v end pieces of the cross head 13. The casting 22 which supports the'proximate closed ends of the cylinders is provided with ports or passages 23, 24, which respectively communicate between the cylinders and a valve chest 25.' This casting 22 is also provided with an exhaust port or passage 28.A The ports 23, 24, 28, are formed in or through a surface of the casting 22 which extends into the valve chest 25, and constitutes a valve seat over or in coperation with which works 2Q a valve 27. A pressure supply connection 26, delivers into the chamber 25. The under surface of valve 27, is provided with a duct or recess 29 of sufhcient extent t0 embrace the ports 23 and 28, or the ports 24 and 28,

25 at the same time, when the valve 27 loccupies the one or the other of its normal limits of.

movement. The valve 27 is carried bya rod 30, which is connected to a piston 31, operat-'` ing in a cylinder 32. A spring 33 arranged 30 in the cylinder 32, serves to exert its pressure on piston 31, inl a direction to force the latter out of the cylinder 32; The piston 31, forms a movable division wall or diaphragm between. the cylinder 32 and the valve cham- 35 ber 25. The rod 30; is extended, as at 34, into a closed head 35, which forms a guide therefor. The cylinder y32 communlcates freely with van auxiliary chamber 37, through a port or passage 36, and passages 39, 40, respectively communicate between,

the auxiliary chamber 37 and the valve chest or chamber 25, and the outer air. A pilot valve, 38, operates inthe auxiliary chamber 37, to control passages l39, 40, the` pilot valve 38, when moved to one limit of I its travel closing passage 39, and opening passage 40, and when moved to the other limit of its. travel closing passage 40 and -opening passage 39.

The pilot valve 38, may be controlled in any suitable or convenient manner and from any suitable or convenient point. A simple arrangement is shown wherein a rod 41, is connected to the core 42, of al solenoid 43, the free end of said rod extending into the passage 40 into position lto engage the end of the pilot valve 38, when said rod is moved endwise, by the energization of the solenoid, thereby shifting the pilot valve into position to close passage 39, and to open passage 40. When the circuit of solenoid 43 is opened the pressure in the valve chamber 25, acting through the passage 39, and` against the opposite end of pilot valve 38, ,i throws said pilot valve to its opposite limit Lacasse "opening passage 39. f

The circuit of solenoid 43, may be contrclled from any desired point. For illustrative purposes I have shown a battery 44 and a switch 45, in the circuit of the solenoid whereby said circuit may be opened and closed whenever desired.

longitudinal movement vis utilized Yto accom- Vplish the automat/ic operationof the pilot valve. To this end I provide the door with brackets47 adjacent its front edge, to which are pivotally connected links 48, which are also pivotally connected, as at 49, to the shoe 46, and serve to support the latter. Under normal conditions the.l links 48, are inclined lto a vertical lline passing through their points of pivotal connectidn 50, with -the brackets. e When in this position tail pieces or extensions 51 of lsaid linksl 48,-project below the pivoted point 50, and bear against the front or vertical edge surface of the door, thereby forming a limit stop to limit the relative movement of the shoe outwardly with reference to and away from the vertical edge of the door. The weight of the shoe serves to hold it in this normal position. When, however, the door, in closing, encounters an obstruction in its path, the shoe, coming-in contact with the obstruction is arrested whilethe closing movement of the door continues. This action causes the links 48 to rock about their pivot points 50, the pivot points 49 thereof moving in an arc about the points 50, thereby causing the shoe 46 to move toward the door edge andalso to move longitudinally and upwardly. Positioned above the door to be engaged and The automatic operation of the pilot valve Y l 38 in emergency or safety operation may be 'accomplished in many different ways. In

moved bythe shoe 46 when it is thus shifted 'f upwardly, is a `member 52, which, in the form shown,A is pivoted as indicated at 90, and which, when moved, as above explained, operates to rock a bell crank y lever 53, through a link connection 54, said lever 53, having a vrod 55 connected thereto and arranged, when projected by the bell crank lever 53, to engage and rock a lever 56, pvotally mounted as at`57, and arranged when rocked, to engage the pilot valve operating rod 41, in any suitable manner, as, for instance, by a collar 58, thereby shifting the pilot valve.

It may sometimes be desirable to lock the motor against operation. In such case it is necessary to release the lock when it is desired to move the door. A simple arrangepilotvalve is located on the opposite side of lever 56. The rod 91 extends beyond the lever 56, and at its eXtreme end is pivotally connected to a gravity actuated locking dog 62. lUnder normal conditions the hooked end 63 of the dog 62, engages a lug 64 on the cross head 13, being held by gravity in locking engagement therewith. The release of the dog is effected by the endwise movement of rod 91, when the solenoid 43 is energized, the said release being effected before the pilot valve 38 is operated.

If desired, the motor mechanism may be located, as shown, between the wall members 66, 67, of a street car, for instance, above the doors in the roof portion of the car.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows Assuming the doors to be closed, the pistons 18 an'd 19 are atI the extreme limits of their movements toward the left with port 23 open to the valve chamber and ports 28, 24, in communicationwith each other. This condition exists when the pilot valve is seated in position to close passage 40 and to open passage 39. Under these conditionsthe pressure in valve chamber 25 equalizes on opposite sides of piston 3 1, thereby enabling the tension of spring 33 to become effective to shift and hold the valve 27 in the position shown in Fig. 3. Now suppose it isdesired to open the door. The switch 45 isoperated to close the circuit of solenoid 43. Thereupon rod 41 is projected andthe pilot valve 38 is shifted into position to close passage 39 and to open passage 40.,

thereby shifting the pistons 18, 19, and the' cross-head 13 toward the right, and opening the door. This movement may be arrested and reversed at any point by merely opening switch 45, whereupon the pressure in chamber 25, acting upon pilot valve 38, through the passage 39, shifts said pilot valve into position to open passage 39, and toclose passage 40. When this takes place the pressure in chamber 25 and cylinder 32 again equalizcs and the pressure of spring 33 again becomes effective to shift valve 27 toward the right and into thev position shown in Fig. 3. This action, therefore, not only arrests the motor, but also reverses it and the door is moved by the motor toward closed position. By again closing the switch 45, the motor is again reversed by the same operations above described and the door is moved by the motor toward open position. lIn case the lock dog 62 is employed, the energization of the magnet 43, will release the lock before the motor action commences.

If, in its closing movement, the door encounters an obstruction in its path, such as the body, arm, leg, or the like ofja passenger boarding or alighting from a car, for instance, the shoe 46 will be shifted, as above `in chamber 25, again acts upon pilot valve 38, to shift the same into position to close passage 40, and to openpas'sage 39, thereby again reversing the `motor and causing the door to resume its movement toward closed position.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention, and constructions embodying the principles thereof, I wish it to be understood that variations and changes in the details and arrangements may readily occur to persons skilled in the art through a wide range without departure from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim as new and useful, and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In an apparatus ofthe class described,

a door, a motor for moving the same, means actuated by the door encountering an obstruction in its path in- (dosing for reversing the motor, and means whereby when the obstructionis removed the motor is immediately again reversed.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a door, a motor connected thereto for moving the same, means carried at the front edge yof the door and movable relatively thereto and devices operated by the movement of said means alone in either direction relatively to the door for reversing the motor.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a door, a motor connected thereto for moving the same, a safety shoe mounted at the front edge of the door for relative movement toward and from the door, and means operated by the movement of the shoe in either direction for reversing the direction in which the motor is operating previous to said movement.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a door, a motor connected thereto for moving the same, a safety shoe mounted at the front edge of the door for relative movement toward and from the door, said shoe being normally held extended from the door, whereby when an obstruction is encountered in the path of the door in closing said shoe isV moved toward the door, means operated by the movement of the shoe toward `the door to reverse the motor, said means operating to again reverse the motor when said shoe again moves to its normal extended position.

feo

' to the door.

6. In an apparatus -of the class described, a door, a motor connected thereto for moving the same, devices for controlling the direction of operation of the motor, manul ally operated means to control said devices,

and automatically operated means to control said devices, including 'a safety shoe movably mounted at the front edge of the doorv for movement toward and from the door, and connections intermediate said shoe and control devices for reversing the motor when said shoe alone is moved in either direction relative to the door.

7 VIn an apparatus of the class described, v

a door, a motor connected thereto for moving the same, a safety shoe, links for suspending the shoe at the front edge of the door wherebythe shoe is movable toward and from the edge of the door, and means controlled by the movements of the shoe alone toward and from the door edge for reversing the motor. Y

8. In an apparatus of the class described,

, a door, a motor connected thereto for moving the same, a safety shoe, links for suspending the shoe at the front edge of the door whereby the shoe is movable toward and from the edge of the door, means `operated by the movementl of the shoe toward the edge of the door for reversing the motor, said means operating by the movement of the shoe away from the edge of the door to again reverse the motor.

9. In anapparatus of the class described, a door, a motor connected thereto for moving the same, a safety shoe carried at the front edge of the door and held by gravity in displaced relation away from the door edge, means operated by the movement of said shoe alone toward the edge of the door for reversing the motor, said means operated by the movement of the shoe alone in returning to its gravity position to again reverse the motor.

l0.l In an apparatus of the class described, a door, a motor connected thereto for moving the same, a safety shoe, Ilinks connected to the front edge of the door formovably suspending said shoe, whereby when said shoe is moved toward the door edge it is shifted endwise, means operated by the endwise movement of the shoe alone to reverse the motor, said means operating -by the return of the shoe alone to normal position to again reverse the motor.

11. In an apparatus of the class described,

a door, a motor connected thereto for mov- -ing the same, a safety shoe movably mounted at the front edge-of the door, and means operated by the movement of the shoe alone relative to the door when an obstruction is encountered thereby during the closing movement of the door for reversing the motor to move the door toward open position,

,said-means operating to immediately cause the motor to resume its closing movement Vof the door when the obstruction is re- PARIS R. FORMAN. Witnesses S. E. DARBY,

M. A. GRAEVE. 

